Water-meter-controlling device.



No. 832,619. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906. L. H. NASH.

WATER METER CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIONYIILBD 00124, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 WITNESSES rue NORRIS Psrsns 00., wnsnmarou, n..c

No. 832,619. PATENTED OCT. 9. 19 06- L. H. NASH. WATER METER CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.24. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- llll W/ TNE SSE S Noi 882,619. PATENTED OUT. 9, 1906.

L. H, NASH. V

v WATER METER CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED 00124. 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- WITNESSES features, which will be LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, OF SOUTH NORNVALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL METER COMPANY,

TION OF NEW YORK.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- WATER-METER-C ONTROLLING DEVIC E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed October 24. 1903. Serial No. 178,313.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Lewis HALLOCK NASH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South N orwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Water-Meter-Controlling Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in water-meters, and comprises certain novel particularly pointed out in the claims.

The following is a description of the devices shown in the accompanying drawings, whichillustrate forms in which I at present prefer to embody my invention; but it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and without exceeding the scope of the concluding claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional View of a meter embodying a controlling device involving my invention, showing it in its normal position. Fig. 2 shows the same controlling device closed. Fig. 3 is a top view of that portion of the case in which said controlling device is located. Fig. 4 is another form of controlling device involving my invention, the valve being in the open position. Fig. 5 shows the device of Fig. 4 with the valve partially closed. Fig. 6 shows another form of controlling device involving my invention, this form possessing the additional function of acting as a check-valve. Fig. 7 is another form involving my invention, acting both as a reducing-valve and a check-valve. Fig. 8 shows a main with a meter attached and a controlling devicesuch, for example, as one of those herein described-located between the main and the meter.

Water-meters are commonly located in places where the pressure of the water varies within relatively wide limits-say, for example, from thirty to one hundred and fifty pounds per square inch. If a meter be provided with a passage sufficiently ample to permit it to Work at its full capacity under, say, fifty pounds pressure, then that meter will be endangered by the increased flow due to any considerable rise of pressure above fifty pounds. The common practice is to avoid this danger by throttling the passage through the meter at some point, so that it will not be overworked at any expected abnormal pressure; but the disadvantage of this expedient is that at normal pressures the flow is unduly restricted, either necessitating the installation of a meter larger than necessary or curtailing the amount of water available for use. By my invention, among other things, I overcome this difliculty and am enabled to use without danger to it a meter which under normal conditions may be worked at substantially its maximum capacity.

In the drawings, 1 is a passage leading from the water-main.

2 is a passage connecting the passage 1 with the chamber 3, which contains the meter mechanism.

4 is the registering mechanism.

5 is the meter proper, and 6'is the outletpassage from the meter. It is deemed unnecessary to describe the meter, which is shown in detail, as it is of a type well known on the market as the Crown. It is to be understood, however, that I do not limit the application of my device to this type of meter, as it may be applied as well to any other t pe.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in the passage 2 is located the device for controlling the flow of water through the meter. This device is here shown as made in the form of a hollow cylinder 7, the inside walls of which are inclined so as to present a resistance to the current-flow. The device is held in place by means of the pin 8. On the case above the cylinder 7 is formed the projection or seat 9.

The operation of the device is as follows: Water flows from the main through the hollow cylinder 7 and through the meter, wherein it will be measured, passing out through thepassage 6. When the pressure of the water rises above the normal, thewater will cause the cylinder to rise, thereby reducing the opening between the top of the cylinder and the seat 9, thus diminishing the flow into the chamber 3. If the pressure becomes so great as to cause the cylinder to rise until it causes the least possible resistance to the fiow of the fluid, and therefore the least pos- 1 sible loss of head.

In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

the passage 1 communicates with the passage 2 by means of an opening 10, formed in a partition which separates the two passages.

Through this opening extends the spool shaped device 11, its lower end resting within a pocket 12, formed in the case. This device is held in place by meansof a pin or bolt 13, which passes through the center of 2 5 the device and which is screwed into the case. The pin or bolt is rovided with a head 14 and is longer than i'iIlO device 11. When the water is at normal ressure, the device will be in the position shown in Fig. 4, and the 0 water will readily pass through the opening 10 and around the head of the device into the passage 2 and thence to the meter. Should the flow increase above a given amount, the water bearing upon the head of the device '3 5 will cause it to rise on the bolt or pin 13 until it strikes the head 14, thus diminishing the size of the inlet-passage, as shown in Fig. 5. In this modification there is always some opening for the water to enter the meter.

In Fig. 6 the head of the device 11 is formed to fit snugly in the opening in the partition separating the two passages 1 and 2. In the operation of this form of device the water at normal pressure will cause the device to rise sufficiently to allow the water to fiow through. At an increased rate of flow the pressure will cause the device to rise further, as described in reference to Figs. 4 and 5, until it strikes the head 14 of the pin 13 and throttles the flow. In this modification the device constitutes not only a reducingvalve, but also a check-valve, preventing any backflow or reversal of fiow through the meter and prevents the meter being run backward by reversing its position on the service- In the modification shown in Fig. 7 inthe passa e 2 is pivoted at 15 a swinging device or va ve adapted to close the opening 17 when at rest and to throttle the flow into the meter when it has been elevated to a certain extent. The operation of this form is as follows: The water under normal pressure will pass from passage 1 through opening 17,

causing permit the water to flow. Thence the water will pass from passage 2 through opening 18 and passage 2 to chamber 3. When the flow of the water increases above normal, the valve 16 will be forced upward until the en ergy expended by the flowing stream on the valve equals the weight of the valve, which will be substantially the position of equilibrium.

The controlling valve or device may be located in the meter-case, as I have shown it in Figs. 1 to 7, or it may be located, as shown in Fig. 8, at C, between the main A and the meter B.

In the foregoing specification I have described certain modifications of structures involving my invention; but it will be understood that various other modifications and forms may be ado' ted and that mention by me of a few modi cations is not intended to exclude others not referred to, the object of this specification being to instruct a person skilled in the art how to practice my invention in forms which are at present preferred by me. All of the details and features illustrated and described are not essential to the practice of my invention broadly considered. This will be indicated in the concluding claims,'where the omission of an element or feature hereinbefore described is intended to be a specific declaration that the omitted element or feature is not essential to the invention therein covered.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a water-meter of a valve constructed and arranged to remain wide open while the rate of flow is confined within substantially normal limits and to partially close and throttle the flow through the meter when the rate of flow exceeds the normal.

2. The combination with a water-meter of a valve constructed and arranged to remain wide open while the rate of flow is confined within substantially normal limits and to progressively close and progressively throttle the flow through the meter when the rate of flow exceeds the normal.

3. The combination with a water-meter of a non-closing valve constructed and arranged to remain wide open while the rate of flow is confined within substantially normal limits 7 and to partially close and throttle the flow through the meter'when the rate of flow exceeds the normal.

4. The combination with a water-meter of a non-closi'n valve constructed and arranged to partiallyc ose and throttle the fiow through the meter when the rate of flow increases.

5. The combination with a water-meter of a pressure-balanced valve constructed and arranged to partially close and throttle the the valve 16 to rise sufficiently to flow through the meter When the rate of flow In testimony whereof I have si ned my increases. name in the presence of two subscri ing Wit- I0 6. The combination With a Water-meter of nesses. a valve constructed and arranged to par- LEWIS HALLOCK NASH tially close and throttle the flow through the meter When the rate of flow increases and t0 Witnesses:

close when the direction of the flow is re- WILLIAM Gow, versed. HOWARD A. CARROLL. 

